The ICAR-IRRI agreement
also ensures that other rice-producing countries around
the world will have access to the best Indian rice
research. India has the biggest community of rice
researchers and scientists in the world and their work
is much in demand in other countries.
Most importantly, the
ICAR-IRRI collaborative work plan agreement ensures that
Indian rice farmers will continue to have access to the
best new rice varieties being developed internationally
for adaptation and development for Indian conditions.
Such work particularly focuses on higher yields and
greater productivity, drought tolerance, disease and
insect resistance, as well as improved nutrition and the
development of new hybrid rice varieties.
ICAR-IRRI research has
also looked at the increasing importance of nonrice and
nonfarm income in farmers’ livelihoods as well as
diagnosed the constraints to the adoption of improved
technologies in unfavorable environments like those in
eastern India. Additionally, the new agreement allows
for the continuation of training programs at IRRI for
young Indian scientists and researchers.
The ICAR-IRRI agreement
has three main focuses: genetic enhancement or the
development of improved rice varieties, natural resource
management with a particular focus on environmental
sustainability and training and technology transfer. In
all three areas, the main aim is to make sure the very
latest technologies and ideas are made easily available
to India’s rice farmers as quickly as possible.
